St. Andrew’s Society’s Burns Supper
The St. Andrew’s Society in Bangkok held its Burns Supper, so of course the pipe band was necessary to celebrate the poet, and all things Scottish.
Pipe Major Keith was on hand to be the lone piper to march in the Chieftain, and then later to march in the haggis.
The band had the opportunity to play a set before dinner started, and then again at the end of dinner.
A final performance of Auld Lang Syne was the final piece for the evening.
The British Club Bangkok Pipe Band had in attendance 5 pipers, including Murray who came down from Chiang Mai. Our 2 drummers were there to represent as well.
It was a little bit funny that the band had been preparing only one set, as that was what we were told by the organizers. It was kinda weird, but it was a smaller event so maybe they just didn’t need all that much bagpiping.
– So it was “fun” when we were asked to play an additional set at the start of the reception. “OK…. what tunes do we ALL know that we can play together…” We have such an amalgamation of pipers that have recently joined the band, myself very much a part of this issue, that it takes a bit of searching to figure out what can be played properly together as a band. We sorted it out, and played the opening reception in the entrance hall just fine.
After our first set, we sat at our table, and enjoyed the evening as guests until it was time for our main set. We tuned up, and came into the room with full volume. We marched in between the tables, and performed our set for all to see. We played well, and the tone was coming through nice. We marched out with the fun 6/8 tune, Cock of the North.
Auld Lang Syne on the pipes
Our final stint was Auld Lang Syne, on its own. its a band standard to play as a march. The fun part of this one, was that we played it twice through, and then was asked to play it again. As a pipe band, we do not usually play the song the same way people sing it…. but in the middle of our 2nd time through the pipe major gives us orders to start playing it much faster. They way he signaled to look at each of us with wide eyes and making a big show of moving his right foot in an exaggerated stomping manner.
With that, the night was pretty much finished. It was after midnight after all. The pipes and drums were put away, and the band retired for the evening.
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